The Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2026 was held from April 9 to 12 at the International Center for Exhibition (ICE) in Hanoi, featuring nearly 400 booths from over 600 organizations. Fifteen percent of exhibitors were international, showcasing a broad mix of domestic and foreign tourism enterprises.
Elderly Tourists Account for Major Spending Share
Visitors aged between 60 and 75 played a dominant role in spending during the expo. Nguyen Hoai Thu, Director of Saigontourist Hanoi, noted that this age group represented up to 40 percent of the company’s customers and were among the fastest decision-makers on tour purchases. Many found the expo offered easier and more
attractive options than online booking platforms.
Exhibitors and Their Promotions
Hanotours provided direct discounts of VND10 million on tours to the United States and VND5 million on tours to Europe and Australia. Early visitors benefited from 100 travel vouchers valued up to VND5 million. Hoang Viet Travel offered up to VND10 million off on 2026 World Cup tours with additional reductions between VND400,000 and VND3 million on domestic and Asian trips.
Vietluxtour emphasized green tourism and promoted summer packages such as Hanoi – Da Nang – Hue from VND3.99 million, Hanoi – Ly Son from VND3.69 million, and Phu Quoc or Quy Nhon tours
starting at VND3.19 million. Nextsar Travel awarded over 10 complimentary tours to destinations like Cuc Phuong National Park and Phu Quoc and offered more than 100 Phu Quoc packages from VND3.9 million per person.
Vietravel administered discounts up to 30 percent on domestic tours and savings up to VND10 million on international packages, with supplementary up to VND3 million discounts for early bookings. Promotions included special offers for the April 30 holiday period.
In accommodation, hotels such as Hoa Binh Hotel, Hanoi Hotel, Pullman Hanoi, De l’Opera Hanoi – MGallery, and Thang Long Opera featured discounts on package stays, buffet
dining, afternoon tea, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) services.
Attendee Purchases and Travel Plans
Tran Quang Binh, 82, from Cau Giay District, booked a seven-day, six-night tour covering Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou for his family. The total price exceeded VND92 million (about US$3,760). He cited his previous studies in China and annual attendance at the expo due to attractive deals and perks as motivations for his purchase.
Meanwhile, Tran Van Khoat, 77, from Vinh Tuy, compared itineraries between a domestic trip to Quang Tri and a foreign trip to South Korea at the event, intending to finalize a booking after consulting family members.
Nguyen Van Khanh, 87, from Phuc Loi, who has visited over 30 countries and most recently traveled to Indonesia in 2024, expressed interest in tours to China and Russia, noting that fairs like VITM are easier for senior travelers to browse than online platforms.
Interactive Activities Engage Visitors
The expo also featured active audience engagement through lucky draws and giveaways. Nextsar Travel awarded more than 10 attendees with zero-cost tours to national parks and coastal destinations, complementing their sales of discounted packages. These activities contributed to a lively environment and encouraged more visitors to participate in on-site promotions.
